The invention relates generally to the conveying and diverting of articles and, more particularly, to a conveyor having individually motorized transport elements to transport conveyed articles across the conveyor.
Typical sorting or article-diverting conveyor systems include a conveyor, such as an endless conveyor belt or a slat chain, having shoes for pushing articles across the conveyor. Typically the shoe has an appendage that terminates in a cam follower, such as a roller or a keel. The cam followers ride in a guide track arrangement in the conveyor frame beneath the conveyor. As the conveyor moves, the guide track arrangement directs the cam followers and the associated shoes across the conveyor. In this way, the shoes are programmed by the guide track arrangement to transport product to specific lateral positions at specific points along the conveying path.
But such a conveyor system has shortcomings. As one example, the contact of the cam follower on the guide track structure is noisy and susceptible to damage and wear. Furthermore, the guide track arrangement can be complex and expensive to build. The guide track arrangement usually cannot be changed without stopping the conveyor.
Thus, there is a need for a sorting or article-diverting conveyor system that lacks one or more of these shortcomings.